The
price of the democratic way of life is a growing appreciation of people's differences,
not merely as tolerable, but as the essence of a rich and rewarding human experience.
- Jerome Nathanson
Welcome
To
the Homepage of ...
Welcome to the home page for the Center for Community Leadership and Public Policy at Montgomery College. The Center initiates and strengthens grass roots community leadership development and public policy engagement from local to global issues among students, faculty, staff, and members of the community. The Center for Community Leadership Development and Public Policy at Montgomery College is a collaboration with the community aimed at integrating knowledge in the College with knowledge from the community addressing the issues we face as a community and nation through a means that strengthens our public life.
The Center provides complementary programs for relating with the community, individuals, organizations, businesses, institutions, government agencies, and foundations. It serves as a site for conducting research on issues that impact the civic life of communities, and for facilitating civil discussions on community issues that can lead to problem solving. The Center is guided in its efforts by a community advisory committee comprised of representatives from a broad cross-section of Montgomery County.
We are organized for this collaboration under three program areas: The Robert E. Parilla Community Leadership Development Program; a Public Policy Institute (PPI); and a Public Issues Forums (PIF) practice. A description of each program area follows. For more information, go to the section of the Web site corresponding to the program area.
The Robert
E. Parilla Community Leadership Development Program provides:
• Courses, Symposiums, Seminars, and Roundtables that address critical
interests and concerns of community leadership
• Celebrations and Recognition of grass roots initiatives by individuals
and groups that address neighborhood problems
The Public
Policy Institute (PPI) provides:
A participatory research practice, advancing the College’s responsibility
for public scholarship and community members interests as public scholars. Currently
participants in the Center are developing understanding about the following:
•Citizens and Public Choice
•Community Politics and Leadership
•The Public and Public Schools
•Institutions, Professionals, and the Public
•Public-Government Relationship
•The International and the Civil
The Institute also offers two seminars based on the findings of the above activities.
The outcomes of these seminars teach people to convene and moderate deliberative
forums or to name and frame community issues for deliberation.
The Public Issues Forums (PIF) provide:
The National Issues Forums (NIF)
•A series of forums on a variety of issues that the Legislative, Executive,
and Judicial branches of government are currently facing at the national and
local levels. These forums are in collaboration with The National Issues Forums
Institute’s nationwide network and reporting program.
Local Issues
Forums (LIF)
•A series of forums on issues that our local communities face. These are
in collaboration with our local Public Issues Forums Steering Committee's network
and reporting program.
You are invited to help the Center initiate, and strengthen grass roots community leadership development and public policy engagement from local to global issues among students, faculty, staff, and members of our community. With you, the Center will provide complementary programming to existing community efforts in the form of partnerships among individuals, government agencies, non-government organizations, businesses, religious institutions, and foundations. It is a non-partisan, safe, and inclusive association for all of us to conduct the public’s business on difficult issues leading to communities finding common ground for action.
What are your
interests and concerns?
Where and how do you want your voice understood?
Where should your image be an example to the community of your will to act?
Since its inception, the Center has offered, either independently or in collaboration with others, an array of forums, seminars and training opportunities on many topics and issues aimed at promoting education and understanding. These programs have included post-September 11th Table Talks, the development of a study guide for conducting civil dialogues on difficult issues, and a student and teacher education program in deliberative dialogue. From June 4 – 6, 2002, the Center held its inaugural “Communities Finding Common Ground for Action” study session. A cross-section of the community, participating with an experienced national faculty, facilitated the examination of an array of public issues related to this topic. The work of the Center allows our students, faculty, staff and members of the community to explore issues of fundamental importance to them and their organizations, community, or regions.
If you want
to learn more about the Center, contact
ccldpp@mc.cc.md.us; Prof. Nathan Starr,
240-567-7485, nstarr@mc.cc.md.us; or
Dr. Robert Walker, 240-567-7221, rwalker@mc.cc.md.usrwalker@mc.cc.md.us